Almost Human
by doctorwhoviansunite
Summary: Sequel to Hospitalized. The Doctor is on the brink of death due to the high amounts of radiation given to him when he was trapped in a human hospital. He tells Rose about a medication that can save him, which she finds and gives to him. But will it have dire, or perhaps fatal consequences?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well here's chapter 1 of the sequel to Hospitalized as promised. :)**

**If you haven't read Hospitalized, then I recommend reading it first or you may be a bit confused ;) **

Rose gaped in horror at what lay in front of her. The Doctor... he was about to tell her he loved her... wasn't he? Rose felt a tear fall down her cheek as she tended to the unconscious man. His hair was sticking up at awkward angles and his hands were shaking. She settled him back into bed properly.

"Jack!" She called, unintentionally allowing the despair in her voice to show. Half a moment later her friend came rushing in, eyes wide with shock as he saw their companion lying unconscious once again.

"What happened?!" he briskly sat down on the bed next to Rose. "He was fine a moment ago!"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know... we were talking... and then he just started coughing and.." her voice cracked, and she looked away. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Jack, about to thank him for his support, when she saw both of his hands sitting in his lap. She looked down at the Doctor, who had opened his eyes slightly and was gripping her shoulder.

"R...Rose.." he murmured, gasping for air.

"Doctor! Doctor... are you alright?"

He just squinted his eyes shut. "Rose..."

She pulled his hand off her shoulder and held it tight in both of her's. "Doctor I'm here. It's me. Everything's going to be alright."

He started shaking his head violently. "Rose.."

"I'm here. It's alright.." The tears were falling harder due to worry and the grief that she feared was on the way.

He stopped shaking his head and took a deep breath. "Infirmary.."

Rose nodded. "Jack, help me move him."

"No!" The Doctor started shaking his head again. "Infirmary... cabinet.. blue bottle... TARDIS will help.." he closed his eyes again and started trembling.

Rose didn't want to leave him, but knew she had no choice. She squeezed his hand before standing up reluctantly. "Jack.. stay with him. I'll be as quick as I can." She backed away, keeping her eyes off her best friend as long as she could before running out the door and down the corridor.

She silently thanked the TARDIS for moving the infirmary closer to the Doctor's bedroom. She burst through the door, eyes burning briefly from the bright white walls and decor. She shook her head and headed towards the back wall where his desk was. Cabinets were attached to the wall above it.

"Blue bottle... Blue bottle..." Rose tore through everything in every visible cabinet, finding nothing like the Doctor described to her. She scanned the rest of the room, and saw no other cabinets, so she decided to check the drawers.

Nothing.

"TARDIS..." Rose muttered remembering what the Doctor had said about the ship being able to help. "Um, so the Doctor mentioned before that you were telepathic.. so..er.." This was weird.. "Can you help me?"

There was no reply.. not like Rose expected the space ship to talk. Then, Rose heard a noise behind her and she spun around.

A door to a hidden cabinet slammed open, reveling a single bottle of pills.

The bottle was blue.

Rose grabbed the bottle without a moment's thought about why the cabinet was hidden. She ran out of the infirmary, nearly running into the door that she didn't remember closing. She rushed down the corridor and back into the Doctor's bedroom.

He was once again hyperventilating, with Jack looming over him looking helpless.

"Thank god." he fretted. "I don't know what to do. He stopped shaking but-"

"Shut up and get out of the way." Rose shoved him aside, ignoring his annoyed protests.

"Rude much?" he muttered under his breath.

"Doctor... I found the pills. Can you sit up?.. Can you even hear me?!" His eyes stayed shut, but he nodded slightly in understanding. Rose grabbed a glass of water from the table next to the bed.

"Can you sit up?"

He shook his head and grabbed the bottle from her. His eyes opened slightly. He opened the bottle and popped two of the odd-looking pills into his mouth, coughing a little as he tried to get them down without the help of the water.

Then he stopped shaking and his eyes shut again, and the Doctor was still.

Rose began to panic, but let out a sigh of relief as she saw the faint rise and fall of his chest.

She sighed in relief and Jack sat down beside her, wrapping her in a hug. Rose hugged him back tight.

"He's gonna be ok." He whispered into her ear softly. Rose let the tears fall freely now, not bothering to try and hold them back. Jack rubbed her back comfortingly, then pulled away.

"What was in those pills?" he asked, curious.

Rose didn't know. She picked up the bottle, which had rolled off the bed andonto the floor. The pills had spilled out and she scooped them into her hand, pouring them back in the bottle and sealing the lid. She looked closely at the label.

It was all written in Gallifreyan.

She sighed, a bit disappointed, until she remembered that the TARDIS was supposed to translate any foreign languages to English.

So why wasn't it translating this?

Rose gasped as the words suddenly began to become readable.

The TARDIS was allowing her to read the label. Rose squinted her eyes, trying to read the small words in the dark room.

_Gallifreyan Anti-Radiation Supplement_

_Take no more than two pills in single regeneration._

_Beware of Side-Effects_


	2. Chapter 2

Rose froze.

Side effects?

She read on, realizing her hands were starting to shake;

_Beware of Side-Effects:_

_Occasional Hallucinations_

That wasn't too bad.

_Minor Amnesia _

Manageable.

_Regeneration Energy Deficiency._

Ok. That was bad.

_Possible intense humanoid gene rewrite._

Rose wasn't even positive what that meant, and she knew it wasn't good.

"Jack, look." Rose handed the bottle to Captain Jack who was still sitting on the bed next to her. His expression remained calm until he reached the side effects.

"Ok. That's bad." His hands trembled as he passed the bottle back to Rose.

She sighed. "I know."

"Amnesia? That's awful! He won't remember how much he loves me!" A smirk stretched across his face.

"Jack!" Rose punched him in the arm. "You know what I'm talking about!" her voice cracked.

"Ok ok. I'm sorry. Hallucinations are bad too. He could start having wild dreams about our past. And things could start getting out of hand... if you know what I mean." He raised an eyebrow and gave Rose a guilty smile.

"Jack.." Rose pleaded. "This is serious. Regeneration energy deficiency. THAT is what's bad! And what does it mean by humanoid gene rewrite?"

Jack sighed, defeated, and put his hand on top of her's. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm just trying to lighten the mood a bit. But your right. That's not good at all."

"It's not just not good, Jack. If it's enough deficiency to put in the warning section, it's got to be bad." She looked at her sleeping Doctor. "Humanoid gene rewrite..." She ran the words over and over in her head. "Jack? Any ideas?" she asked as she noticed he was looking at the ground. "Jack?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it Rose. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Jack? What does it mean?"

He still wouldn't look at her.

"_Jack!_" she said sternly. "Talk to me."

The young captain finally brought his gaze to meet her's. "Rosie, let it go." Then he stood up without another word and walked out the door, leaving Rose alone with the Doctor.

Ok. Rose was truly scared now. Had she just possibly saved the Doctor's life, only to kill him again? No. She was being crazy. The Doctor wouldn't have told her to get him those pills if they weren't going to truly help... unless he was just desperate to end the suffering..? Rose shook her head. _Stop worrying, and just concentrate on getting him better again. _She stood up to go get a fresh cold washcloth. When she returned the Doctor was sweating worse than before, his whole body now trembling.

"Oh, Doctor.." She sat on the bed beside him with the cloth on his forehead. She moved a few damp strands of his long hair away from his eyes, and kissed the top of his head. "What am I going to do without you." She wiped the tears from her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair, then closed her eyes, letting the much welcomed sleep consume her.

* * *

The Doctor's eyes flew open. He didn't know where he was. He scanned the room. _Ok. TARDIS bedroom. Good. In bed... wait why? Oh yes... _He remembered the events over the past few days. He wondered what his current condition. _All limbs in tact... that's good. Don't feel like I'm going to catch on fire.. I guess that's a good sign. _He felt movement to his left, and turned his head to find a beautiful blonde young women laying next to him. He eyes stretched wide. _Wait... what? Who? Why.. Oh my god. _For the briefest second, he didn't recognize the girl next to him. _Rose! Oh god Rose... wait.. Rose? _How had he had forgotten her, even for just a moment? Panic began rising in his throat. _What's going on.. wait why am I in this bed? What happened? _He sat up, eyes darting back and forth. The sudden movement woke his sleeping companion.

Rose blinked open her heavy eyelids. "Doctor! You're awake!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, confused when he didn't return the greeting. Instead he pulled back, looking confused. "Doctor? Are you ok?.." Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Rose!" he wrapped her in a big hug. This time, it was her that pulled back.

"Doctor, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"It was like you didn't remember me for a second..." Oh wait.. she remembered one of the side effects of the medicine.

Minor amnesia.

The Doctor shook his head. "I dunno.. I'm sorry. That was really weird." He looked away. "What happened?"

Rose grabbed his hand sympathetically. "What all do you remember?"

"I have no idea.. It's like when I was in the hospital, not remembering where they were taking me.. oh wait the hospital! I.. I remember the hospital." He squeezed his eyes shut in thought. "I remember getting shot and everything.. but my mind's blank after that." He shook his head in frustration. "What happened?"

Rose quickly described all the events that occurred after they got him out of the hospital. His eyes lit up again.

"I remember now!.. Wait how did I forget that?" The Doctor fretted.

Rose squeezed his hand tighter and grabbed the blue bottle of pills off of the table. "Side effect of this I believe." She handed him the bottle and he took it with great urgency.

"Did I take this?" He demanded.

Rose looked a bit afraid. "Yes.. you told me to."

"When did I.. oh. I remember now. Yup, amnesia. This should be fun."

"Well you seem a lot better, so they must have helped!" Rose pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, then moved it down to his cheek. "And you feel way cooler. I say it was a good move."

He swiped her hand away and stared at the ground.

"Doctor, what does humanoid gene rewrite mean.."

He didn't answer. Rose had already gone through this with Jack and she wasn't doing it with him. "What does it mean." She demanded.

"Humanoid gene rewrite.. means exactly what it sounds like. It will literally make an attempt at rewriting my genes.. turning me almost human."

"What do you mean _almost_?"

"Kind of hard to explain... but basically these things are going to try and turn me human, but due to my complex Time Lord system they won't work all the way, leaving me at this sort of in between stage I guess you could call it.." He buried his face in his hands. "I'll pretty much be half Time Lord half Human."

Rose tried to find a way of cheering him up. "Well, that's not _that _bad is it?"

His expression suddenly turned to anger. "It's awful! I will no longer be a true Time Lord! The Gallifreyan race will become truly extinct! How can you say something like that!? It's VERY bad, Rose!"

Rose shrank back a bit.

The Doctor's gaze softened. "I-I'm sorry, Rose. I don't know what came over me.." he sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't truly understand, but I do now. Is there some way of preventing it?"

"I truly don't know. Maybe, but there's another problem..." his voice shook.

"What?"

"Another side effect.. regeneration energy deficiency. That energy isn't just simply for a successful regeneration. It's what helps my body to heal easier from more severe injuries and sicknesses... That medicine took away a lot of energy."

Rose gasped. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

He nodded, grabbing both her hand's with his. He realised that _he_ was crying now. "Rose, I'm so sorry. But there's a good chance that when the gene rewrite begins, I'm not gonna survive it."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow two chapters in a day. Shows how much I enjoy writing this xD. Shoutout to Cabin6Girl for her awesome review :D You made my day!**

"No... there has to be something that can be done.." Rose muttered in between bouts of tears.

The Doctor closed his eyes. "I..I don't know. Maybe, but if there is I don't know how we're going to find out. Rose, I'm sorry. But my best chance is just to endure through it. I still have a chance. I could still pull through."

He couldn't tell what was going through his companion's head. She was staring blankly at him in disbelief.

"Why did you make me give you those pills if they were just gonna kill you!" she shouted suddenly.

"Rose, if I wouldn't have taken those, the radiation would have killed me right then and there. I was dying... I could feel it. At least this way I, well, have a chance. Hey," he cupped her face in one of his hands and brought her gaze directly to his. "It's going to be alright. I'm not giving up without a fight." He gave her a small smile. Without another word he pulled her into a tight, warm hug. She wrapped her arms around his thin bare back, never wanting to let him go.

"I'm not giving up without a fight either." she sniffed. "There's no way I'm letting you go."

The Doctor felt tears streaming down his cheeks in pain for his best friend. He rubbed her back in comfort, whispering soothing words in his native language. He knew she couldn't understand, but she seemed more at peace still at his voice. "As for right now," he began, pulling back and drawing in a shaky breath, "the process shouldn't start for another day or so.. and right now I feel absolutely fantastic.. should we take one...er... a little trip?" he barely stopped himself from saying _one last trip, _which he knew would make things even harder. To his surprise, Rose shook her head.

"I'm not letting you leave the TARDIS, unless it's for a good reason." her voice suddenly turned strict. "The better condition you are when it starts, the more of a chance you have."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Well yes ma'am." he said sarcastically.

"Oi, watch it. I'm just trying to help." she laughed.

The Doctor couldn't explain how relieved he was to see that smile. "I know." he smiled back. "I at least need to get out of this bed... and shower."

Rose scrunched up her nose. "Yeah, you really do."

"Oi!"

She punched him in the arm playfully. "I'm only teasing... no not really. You smell like a fish that's been dead for a bloody month. Shower. Now."

He laughed this time. "Fine, fine. I'm going. Hey where's old Jack?" he asked as he stood up, blushing a bit as he realised he was in only boxers.

Rose did her best to ignore his lack of pants. "Dunno. Scampered off earlier. Haven't seen him since."

The Doctor shrugged and inched his way towards the bathroom. When Rose saw the door shut, and heard the water running, she stood up, wondering where Jack was.

* * *

Rose found Jack in the TARDIS kitchen. "Oi, where did you go off to?" She asked.

"Just in here. Got hungry.." he replied, then looked at the floor. "Listen, Rose.."

"It's alright. The Doctor told me."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "He did?"

Rose nodded. "And I know what could happen too... with the regeneration energy deficiency and all.."

"Rose.. I'm so sor-"

"Don't say what I think you're about to say. He's still here isn't he? Let's just focus on getting him through this so that we can go back to travelling."

Not wanting to ruin her hope, Jack just nodded. "Where is he now?"

"Shower. He said the...changes... should start happening in a day or two."

Jack glanced at her sympathetically.

"Stop that!" Rose demanded.

"Stop what?!" Jack asked, annoyed.

"Stop looking at me like that. That 'poor Rose' look. He's not dead yet, and if he still has a chance, I'll make sure he gets through. And nothing can stop me."

* * *

The Doctor stepped out of the shower, shaking his hair out a bit. "Boy that felt good." he mumbled. He grabbed a white towel off the rack, running it through his hair before wrapping in around his waist. He felt better than he had in over a week. He couldn't believe that at this time tomorrow he would practically be on his death bed.

He opened the bathroom door and exited into the hall. He heard voices coming from the kitchen, and he felt a good bit hungry, so decided to make his way there. He found Jack sitting at the table, and Rose leaning up against the counter talking.

"Well hi there," Rose greeted him. "You took long enough!" The Doctor laughed and walked over to the fridge, briefly placing his hand on Rose's shoulder as he walked by. He felt her shudder at his touch. Pretending to ignore it he bent down to peer into the fridge, finding nothing that looked good.

"Made you some soup," he heard a voice behind him. He spun around to see Rose carrying a steaming bowl and placing it on the table.

"Oh, Rose you fantastic thing." he sat at the table. "I appreciate this so much."

She smiled. "Not a problem. Jack you want any?"

"I'm alright, thanks." Jack grinned at her, then turned to the Doctor.

"So Doc-"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" The Doctor glared at him with mock anger.

Jack held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry sorry. Anyways, what's your plan for this... er... situation?"

"Lower your voice." The Doctor hissed, not wanting to talk about this in front of Rose, who was on the other side of the fairly large kitchen. "I don't know. There's not much I can do. It will probably start tomorrow, so let's just hope that I'll be able to handle it all. As for now, let's not dwell on it. If this is my last day with Rose, I need to make it a special one." A look of sadness swept across his face. _This very well could be my last day with Rose._

"Hey, what about me!" Jack punched him in the shoulder, breaking into the Doctor's thoughts.

"Shut up Jack."

Jack fluttered his eyelashes and placed a hand flat on his chest. "I'm very offended."

"I mean it, Jack." The Doctor said sternly, about ready to smack his friend.

"Sorry." Jack returned to his old self. "Where are you planning on taking her?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Not sure. She doesn't want me to leave the TARDIS, which is understandable, but I need to have one last adventure with her. Nothing dangerous just..." he sighed. "I don't know." he buried his face in his hands. "I just don't know what to do." He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, ready to slap Jack in the face, but calmed down when he saw the hand belonged to Rose.

"You're not leaving." Rose said as she choked back tears. Had she heard their whole conversation?

"Rose..."

"I don't want to hear it. I'm not planning on losing you, so there's no point in taking 'one last adventure'."

She kissed the top of his head.

"Now for the love of God, will you please go put on some pants!"

**Hehe decided to throw in some slight fluff here. Reviews are REALLY appreciated! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

"C'mon, Rose! Just a quick trip down to Justacia. We don't have to stay long, but you have to see it!" The Doctor looked up at Rose with his big brown eyes, pleading with her as she tried to get him to settle back into bed.

"No!" She told him, growing impatient. "You're transition will start tomorrow, and you need to be in perfect health." she shook her head, placing her hands on his shoulders in attempt to get him to settle down. "No way I'm risking you out there."

"But Rose, it's not dangerous!"

She glared at him. "You told me that if we weren't careful I'd end up in a borstal, no telling where you'd be." she closed her eyes. "No. I'm sorry but I'm not risking it."

The Doctor sighed, but he wasn't giving up yet. Their last adventure had been 2 weeks ago. If he was going to die within the next couple of days, he was going to make sure that he and Rose had the best last day together ever. "Rose... It'll be fine. Just let me show you."

"No," she said again, but was starting to look thoughtful. The Doctor took the opportunity to press on.

"Rose, I promise it's perfectly safe.. and beautiful. I swear you'll love it." He smirked. "And how can you possibly deny this face?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright, fine. If you promise me there's no danger at all!"

He smiled. "I promise!" he stood up out of the bed instantly and grabbed a fresh suit from his wardrobe. "Well hello here old friend. I've missed you." he pulled on his shirt and attached his tie, then pulled on his jacket. "Good to be back." He winked at his reflection in the mirror.

"Well then Miss Rose Tyler!" he grinned. "Follow me!" he grabbed her hand as they ran into the control room.

"Hey there, old girl!" He greeted the TARDIS. "Been dormant a bit too long. Fancy a flight?" The TARDIS let out a small whooshing noise in reply, and the Doctor smiled. _I'm gonna miss this_. He thought with a pang.

Rose glanced at him sympathetically, then walked up besdide him. "Don't go all crazy out there, ya hear? Try to keep the activicty to a minimum." She eyed him, then sighed.

One of the side effects had taken place alright.

The amnesia.

He didn't seem to remember what happened just before he passed out... Rose wiped a tear from her eye before it had the chance to fall. "So, we off then?"

He nodded, pressing a couple buttons then pulling a lever. "Allons-y!"

* * *

"Told you!" The Doctor exclaimed to Rose, as he held her hand, standing on a hill overlooking the beautiful plains of Justacia.

Rose gaped in awe. "Absolutely stunning.." she muttered, and jumped up and down. "I feel a bit lighter here."

"Well yeah. Different gravity pulls on different planets. Makes sense." he winked at her. She laughed and ran over to a small bunch of bright red flowers. They smelled so good. "Justacian roses. Beautiful things." The Doctor smiled at plucked a couple from the ground. "A rose for my Rose." he said, a bright grin covering his face.

Rose laughed and took the flowers from him. "They smell fantastic."

"I told you Justacia was amazing! Didn't I tell you!?"

"Yeah. You weren't lyin'" she suddenly felt a bout of Deja Vu. Rose sighed. _Barcelona. _This was so similar to the trip they had taken just a couple weeks ago. She hoped this trip went well, dreading it may be the last. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain.

The Doctor noticed Rose's sudden change in mood. He looked down at her and she met his gaze. "It's going to be alright," he muttered, his long brown trench coat flowing in the wind. He wrapped her in a warm hug. "It's going to be alright, Rose."

Rose shook her head in attempt of clearing it. "Of course it will. You're going to be perfectly fine." she rubbed the corner of her eye discretely.

The Doctor gave her a small smile. "Don't worry...look out!" he grabbed Rose's neck and pulled her down until she was practically on top of him. A man was standing a few yards away, holding a gun. A blur of light flew past them as they fell back onto the ground.

A voiced boomed in the distance. "You have trespassed on Justacian territory! Resistance is useless! You will come with us!" More men appeared next to him.

"Alright, I believe that's our cue. Rose, get to the TARDIS. I'm right behind you."

She grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her. The TARDIS was only a few feet away. "I'm not letting you out of my sight." She muttered defiantly.

The Doctor didn't put up an argument, but as they arrived at the TARDIS door he stopped for a minute, and turned around looking at the man. He didn't say anything, just stared at him.

Rose gasped as she saw the man raise a gun, a suspicious blue glow looming at the front of the barrel. "No!" she shoved her way in front of the Doctor, taking the blow that immediately followed. Her legs immediately gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, right at the Doctor's feet. She heard a faint frantic voice, but the words were inaudible her her. She saw the blurred figure of the Doctor looming above her, and she felt hands grip her shoulders a he tried to shake her back into consciousness. When that failed she could tell she was being swept into his arms.

She knew nothing after that as the world went black.

**Please review! Hehe :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I actually cried writing this... please review!**

The Doctor scooped Rose's limp body up into his long arms, bursting through the TARDIS doors just in time before another shot was fired. He slammed the doors shut, then started moving swiftly down the corridor.

"You stupid, stupid girl." he muttered through tears, half to himself. "I can't believe that you just did that..." he kicked open the door to the all-white infirmary and laid the blonde woman on the bed inside, sitting her up slightly against the pillows so that he could examine her easier.

"Come on Rose. Stay with me." he ran his fingers through her hair, meanwhile frantically searching her body for the place that the gun fired.

Justacian guns were not ordinary guns.

Instead of firing bullets, the guns emits a small blue substance. In mid air it tends to glow and look almost like a light flying around. But when it touches the body it works it's way inside, causing an infection. Treatable, bust almost instantly fatal if it enters the heart.

The Doctor frantically searched for where it entered, then mentally kicked himself as he remembered that it wasn't visible from the outside.

But, severe pain took place upon where the impact hit.

Regrettably, he had to get Rose to tell him where it was.

"Rose, come one, love, I need you to wake up for a moment." he patted the side of her face gently, desperate to wake her up. "Just for a moment, Rose. Please open your eyes."

His hearts soared as he saw her eyelashes flutter open.

"Rose! Oh thank God."

"Doctor?" she looked around. "Where am I?"

"In the TARDIS infirmary... do you remember what happened?"

Rose thought for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face. "You wouldn't get out of the way." she mumbled.

"Rose, you shouldn't have done that. That very well could have been a fatal decision..." his voice trailed off and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to show them watering. "You can't do that. You know that I've only got about a day left. You shouldn't have tried to sacrifice yourself. It wouldn't have made a difference in my fate."

"Don't say that!" she yelped. "You know very well that you could still pull through... and what? Was I supposed to just stand there and watch you get shot?"

"Yes! Yes you were!" he told her desperately.

She shook her head. "I could never do that." her eyes started to close again.

"Rose, Rose wait. I need to you stay awake for just a moment." he ran his fingers along her cheek.

"What for? 'm tired, Doctor. Let me sleep."

"Rose, please. Can you sit up for just a minute?"

She shook her head. "I'm too tired."

"Rose, I promise. Just a minute, then you can sleep the rest of the day if you want, ok? I have to find out where you got shot. And I can't do that if you don't sit up." he winced, secretly reminding himself of the real reason she needed to sit up. It would hurt. Being still, she couldn't feel it, but as soon as she sat up her pain would tell him where the substance had entered. _I'm so sorry, Rose, but this is gonna hurt. _

Rose, currently feeling no pain, obeyed and placed her hands on the bed in attempt to sit up. She immediately screamed in pain and flopped back down on the bed. She grabbed her arm and squinted her eyes shut, groaning as her body tried to relax again.

"Doctor... it hurts... bad."

"Rose, I know. I'm so so sorry. Just relax and the pain will ease in a moment. Where does it hurt?"

"My arm..." she looked at him, her gaze a silent plea for help that made his hearts wrench in pity.

"Okay. Move your hand. Let me look." he told her. She moved her hand from her left arm, and as expected there was nothing he could see. But if the pain was coming from there then that was where it must have entered. The Doctor ran a couple gentle fingers over the spot, and even that made Rose wince, but she soon relaxed again.

"Doctor?" she looked up at him.

"Yes, Rose?"

"Minute's up." she closed her eyes, and fell into an immediate deep sleep.

The Doctor smiled, stroking her cheek and settling her comfortably back into bed. He sat down beside her, sighing in relief. The substance had entered her arm, not her heart. It was easily treatable, and she would be back to normal in a matter of hours. He stood up, reaching into a cupboard along the wall and pulling out a small purple injection. He applied it to her arm, and she groaned a little in her sleep, but immediately relaxed again. "It's gonna be alright Rose." he whispered. "Just rest." he kissed the top of her head lightly, then pulled up a chair next to the bed, deciding to catch a bit of sleep himself.

* * *

Rose opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by white. White walls, white floors, white bed? Where was she?

Oh right... she remembered the past events. She was in the infirmary after being shot by one of those Justacian men, trying to save the Doctor. She sighed, scared to move in case the unexpected pain from earlier occurred in her arm again. She looked around for the Doctor, but he wasn't in sight. There was a chair next to her bed with a book on the arm of it, with some Gallifreyan symbols on the cover. Had he stayed with her while she was sleeping?

Rose decided to try and sit up, seeing as she was very uncomfortable in her current position. Remembering her sensitive left arm, she tried to use her right as she pushed herself up upright. She was pleased to find that the movement didn't hurt her at all. She swung her legs off the bed, and tried to stand up.

She succeeded.

At that moment, the Doctor opened the door, and stumbled in balancing a tray of food on one hand, a glass of water in the other hand, and a book on his head. Rose burst into laughter at the sight, then ran up to grab the book off his head and the water from his had. When the Doctor saw her, his eyes stretched wide.

"What the _hell_ are you doin' up?" he asked.

Rose shrugged. "I dunno. Whatever you did really helped, cos my arm doesn't hurt anymore." she smiled as she set the book and water down. "What's all that?"

"_This, _is your lunch, but you don't get it until you get back into bed."

"You actually made food..."

"I can cook!"

Rose laughed. "Well that's awful sweet of you then."

"Get back into bed."

"No. I feel fantastic."

He shook his head defiantly. "The past two weeks you've looked after me, so now it's _my_ turn to look after _you._ And I need to be sure the infection had truly left you system before you're up and about."

Rose glared at him.

"Rose. Bed. Now."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, but I have to admit that food smells amazing. What is it?" she asked as she sat back down.

"This, Rose Tyler, is an ancient Gallifreyan recipe. First time I've ever cooked it to be honest, so left me know if you start feeling kind of... bleh." he stuck out his tongue.

"Wait what?"

"I'm kidding!" he smiled. "Well, it _is _ a Gallifreyan recipe, and it _is _my first time making it, but its perfectly safe." he winked at her before setting the tray in her lap.

"God that smells good.." she began with small spoonfuls of the soup, but ended up downing the entirely quickly.

"Someone was hungry." the Doctor laughed picking the tray up and handing her the glass of water. "How d'ya feel?"

"I told you. Fantastic. You can stop worrying."

"I have to worry. It's my job."

Rose smiled. "By the way, how long was I asleep?"

"About a day," he told her hesitantly.

"A day?" Rose almost shouted.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah."

Rose looked at the ground. "So that means-"

"Yeah. It could start at any time now.. Rose, it'll be okay." He grabbed her hand. Rose squeezed it tight then looked him straight in the eye.

"I'll make sure it is." she told him.

The Doctor smiled. She was so stubborn, even now. She was practically refusing to allow him to die, even though they both knew that there was nothing they could do. They just had to hope that it went well.

Rose noticed a change in the Doctor's expression. He sat down on the bed next to her, taking both of her hands in his, and looking her directly in the eye.

"Rose, we both know that there isn't much time left for me most likely-"

"Shut up. I don't want you talking like this." she shook her head.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Rose... I have a chance... but it's very small. You need to prepare for the worst ok?"

"No Doctor. I will not, because there's no reason to. You're going to be fine." she stared at him defiantly.

"Rose." his gaze turned firmer now. "I'm being serious okay? I'm going to need you to be strong. In just a moment I'm going to fly the TARDIS to London, so that you will be able get home if things go wrong. Okay?"

Rose didn't say anything for once. She stared at the ground.

"Rose?"

She looked up and the Doctor could see tears lingering in her eyes. "I can't lose you..."

He smiled, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you'll be fine." he pulled her into a tight hug. "You're gonna be fine. I promise." He felt her tears dampening his shirt, and rubbed her back comfortingly. She held onto him tightly as if he were a lifeline. The Doctor wished they could always be this close. This open to each other. He then reminded himself that there was one more thing he had to do. He pulled back and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Rose, there's something I've been trying to tell you for a while now..."

Rose's heart skipped a beat.

"And I suppose,"

Rose felt like she couldn't breathe.

"If it's my last chance to say it,"

She felt a tear starting to fall from her eye.

"Rose Tyler,"

The Doctor stared deep into her eyes, then leaned towards her slowly, until there lips touched in a heart warming kiss.

He smiled.

"I love you."


	6. Chapter 6

Rose was speechless. Had he really just said that? Had they really just _kissed_? Or was this all just an amazing dream? She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Her sudden silence seemed to be making the Doctor nervous, so instead of talking she pulled him in for another kiss. Her heart fluttered as their lips touched in a long heart felt moment. Then she pulled back and was able to catch her tongue.

"I love you too." Rose whispered, a bright smile on her face.

The Doctor smiled back and laughed a bit in relief, wrapping Rose in the tightest, closest hug.

Rose couldn't quite describe what she was feeling. _Relief...closeness... _she had never felt this way before.

Rose Tyler was in love.

The Doctor could tell Rose had many emotions swarming through her head at that moment. But as for him, he had never felt so... good. So right. So at home. He cupped Rose's face in one of his hands, unable to resist a huge smile. "I didn't pass out this time." he winked.

Rose caught her breath. _So he did remember..._ She grabbed his hand. Even in this amazing...beautiful moment... a huge turmoil was on it's way for the both of them. "So what now?"

The Doctor looked at the ground for a moment, then back up at her. His smile had faded. "We enjoy, quite possibly, our last day together." he told her. "And if I somehow make it through this, then we will get to share the fantastic life that I've been longing for for so long."

"Really?" Rose asked, her eyes glistening.

"Really." the smile returned as the Doctor stood up, reaching out his hand to Rose. She took it and stood up, and they walked hand in hand out of the infirmary and into the control room, ready to begin a whole new life.

* * *

"Hurry up, you!" The Doctor pulled his blonde-haired companion down the steep, green hill, dodging stones and flower patches on the way down. He gasped as they both toppled over each other, and began rolling down in a very unsightly matter. When they reached the bottom, they laid next to each other, laughing.

"That was awesome." Rose exclaimed in between breaths.

The Doctor smiled, scooting closer to her. "Why'd you have to go and push me?!" he joked.

"I didn't! I tripped and fell on you! It was your own fault for going so slow." she defended herself.

"I'm joking, Rose," he nudged her arm. They were both laying in the thick green grass, their feet facing opposite directions but their heads close together. The Doctor turned his head to look at her, and she returned his gaze. They propped themselves up on the grass a bit, and the Doctor leaned in and kissed her.

They sat there, enjoying their time together for several minutes before sitting upright.

3 days total since the Doctor had taken those pills, and still no sign of the transition starting.

"Maybe we're out of the woods," Rose said out loud, while running her fingers through her thick blonde hair.

"Can't be too sure just yet." The Doctor reminded her with a gentle tone. "But I will say that it's odd that nothing has happened. It is supposed to start within 2 days of the medicine being taken."

After the two of them had woken up this morning to find that the transition still hadn't begun, they had started to consider the fact that perhaps, maybe, it wouldn't happen at all. Hoping the Doctor would be safe for today, and desperate for as much time together as they could have, The Doctor and Rose had decided to go back to Barcelona. It had been Rose's favorite place they had visited so far, and it was completely safe...for a change.

"How will we know if it does just pass?" Rose asked, and the Doctor just shrugged in reply.

"I really don't know... I suppose we'll just need to stay in range of the TARDIS whenever we go out. After a certain amount of time I'm sure it'll become clear whether or not it's passed."

Rose just nodded hesitantly. The Doctor stood up, grabbed Rose's hand helping her up, and they began their trek back to the TARDIS.

When they arrived at the front of the big blue box, the Doctor pulled the door open, and gave a slight, mocking bow. "After you, Miss Tyler."

Rose laughed. "Why thank you, Doctor." she stepped inside and her friend was close behind.

Rose leaned up against the console. "So... what now?"

The looked looked away for a second in thought. "Well, I suppose it's about time I took a spin at some domestics!" he grinned at her. "What do you say Rose? Fancy a nice dinner, maybe a film, and then... I dunno,"

Rose laughed. "You're going all out domestic!" she chimed. "Dinner, a movie, and what was that?"

He smiled. "Just enjoy eachother's company I suppose." he grabbed her hand. "Live every day like it's going to be our last together." his gaze darkened a bit, and Rose squeezed his hand tight, looking straight into his eyes. Her only reply was a smile.

The Doctor took a step back, his sudden change in mood disappearing almost instantly. "Well, Rose, I'm gonna go prepare dinner. You just wait here for a mo then we'll eat and sit on the couch in the library and turn on a film...oh god."

"What?"

"Domestics." he squinted his eyes shut, shaking his head.

Rose just laughed and watched him walk away, then sat down in a chair on the other side of the control room.

"Hey Rose!" a voice from the kitchen called. "Fancy some chicken or roast? Or perhaps this exotic meat I found on Mars once... wait nevermind. I don't think meat is supposed to be blue."

Rose laughed. He was just never gonna get the hang of domestics.

"What do ya wanna watch tonight?" he called. "I think-" he suddenly broke off.

Rose heard something hit the ground. "Doctor, you alright?" she called shakily.

No reply.

"Doctor!" Rose called again, making her way to the kitchen now as fast as she could. She swung the door open and gasped.

The Doctor was laying on his back, breathing heavily, staring up at the ceiling with eyes glazed with pain. Rose rushed to his side.

"No... no... Doctor! Doctor can you hear me?"

He nodded slightly, then tried to sit up, only to collapse back onto the floor once again.

The Doctor looked at his beautiful Rose with sad, helpless eyes.

"It's starting."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So.. er.. I just realised that I completely forgot about Jack... or did I? I can't remember if I did anything with him xD I'm just kinda gonna improvise here. Sorry if it's not really in line with something I previously wrote. Please review!**

"C'mon! Almost there!" Rose half pulled half guided the barely conscious Doctor towards his bedroom, grunting in effort. For such a lean, skinny man, he was _heavy._  
In his few previous waking moments, he had been able to explain to Rose a little bit of what to expect while his transition was taking place.

"Chances are I'll be practically comatose for a few days..." he had said shakily. "I'll probably be kinda off and on. Most of the time I'll be asleep but I should still be awake for at least part of the time." Rose had listened intently as he struggled to let the words escape his lips.

"How long until... whatever happens?" he had asked, and the Doctor just shrugged in reply.

"No more than a week I assume, but could be much less. You just never know..." At that point he had started shaking his head in pain, violently, drifting in and out of consciousness for several minutes before Rose thought it best if she moved him to his room.

"Oof!" Rose hit the ground with a thud as the Doctor tripped, dragging himself to the ground and Rose with him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, barely awake as he used the wall to support himself as he got to his feet again...with much difficulty. Rose stood up and put his arm around her shoulders, helping get him back to his room. When they finally arrived at the door, Rose pushed it open with her foot and laid the Doctor on his bed. They both sat there for a moment, dazed and exhausted from their previous efforts, before Rose got him comfortable. She took of his shoes, socks, jacket and tie, then fixed the pillows under his head.

"Th...thank you Rose." The Doctor smiled up at her, then his eyes closed as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Rose stroked his hair a bit before kissing his forehead, and pulling up a chair next him. She placed his hand in her's. "Sleep well, Doctor." She rubbed small circles on top of his hand with her thumb in hopes of calming him during his slumber.

* * *

Rose's eyes bolted open. She sat up, taking a minute to remember why she wasn't in her bed on the TARDIS. She looked to her right to see the Doctor sleeping in his bed next to her, and instantly remembered.

She sat up, wondering how long she had been asleep. There were no clocks on the TARDIS, so she had no way of knowing for sure, but judging how groggy she felt she'd say at least a few hours.

Rose immediately stood up and sat on the bed next to the Doctor. Though he slept soundly, his face was covered in sweat and it was soaking through his white shirt. Rose gently unbuttoned it, revealing his pale but well built chest. She propped him up gently, holding his head in her hand so that it didn't lull back, and carefully pulled of his shirt. She tossed it to the floor, then stood up to get a wet flannel for his drenched skin. She returned with the cool cloth a moment later and started wiping his forehead. She sat on the bed next to him.

"It's gonna be okay, Doctor." She hoped he could hear him. "You'll be okay. Just don't give up on me, ya hear?"

She held him close to her. "Don't you dare give up on me."

Suddenly, there was a sound in the doorway.

Jack burst through.

Rose's mind whirred as she just then realised he had been gone for a couple days. "Where the _hell _have you been?" she demanded, trying to sound as if she had been worrying about him the whole time he'd been gone.

Jack's expression darkened as he saw the Doctor. "Had something to take care of..." was all he said before walking closer. "How's he doing?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't really know. He was doing so good, and then earlier today he just randomly collapsed. He's been asleep since. This is it." she wiped a tear from her face. "But he's going to be ok. He is." she looked down at the Doctor, who was sweating even more now and shivering in his sleep. "He has to be..."

Jack stood next to Rose and put a hand on her shoulder. "How long have you been in here with him?" he asked.

Rose shrugged. "Not sure. I fell asleep but I dunno how long I was out." she told him.

Jack just nodded. "Be sure you get some rest. I know you're gonna want to stay with him during this, but you still need to look out for yourself." with that he pulled something out of his pocket. "Hungry?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "Not really." she sadly remembered the dinner she and the Doctor were planning on having tonight. She realised she hadn't eaten in a couple of days, yet she simply didn't want to eat.

"Take this anyways." Jack tossed something to her, and she caught it.

"An energy bar?" she questioned.

"Not just any energy bar. I got it on New Earth. It's designed to fulfill hunger for days at a time. One can easily get you through a week." he smiled.

Rose shook her head again. "Thanks, Jack, but I'm not hungry. Save it for yourself."

"I've got a ton more, and you still need to eat. You won't be any use to him if you die of hunger."

"Well that escalated quickly." Rose laughed a bit before turning her attention back to her sleeping companion.

Deciding that it would be best to leave Rose alone at that moment, Jack exited to room leaving the two alone.

* * *

The Doctor was restless. His eyes remained shut, but he didn't sleep, and he didn't know why. He was _exhausted _and felt like sleep would consume him again, but it wouldn't.

He hurt all over.

The pain had been slowly building on itself. Getting worse and worse.

It became unbearable.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahg!" his eyes flew open and he clutched his stomach as the pain worsened. His head was pounding unlike anything he'd ever felt. He gasped, desperate for relief, but it didn't come. He squeezed his eyes shut again and felt an arm wrapped around his body.

Rose was with him.

He felt her rubbing his arm in comfort. "What do I do?" she asked frantically.

He shook his head, unable to answer.

"Doctor, tell me what I do!"

There was nothing she could do. He just hoped that the pain died down soon. It was becoming to much for him.

He heard Rose beginning to cry helplessly. He longed to throw himself into her arms and comfort her, but he could barely move. As the pain began to ebb oh so slightly, he relaxed a bit. He dared to open his eyes again.

Rose was looming over him. Tears stained her face and she was frantic. The Doctor managed to take her hand in his and smile. "I'm ok." he told her, hoping he was being convincing.

Rose smiled back slightly, laughing in relief. She hugged him and the Doctor managed to sit up just enough to return the gesture. He kissed the side of her head before flopping back into bed, wincing.

"Is there anything I can do at all?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shook his head slightly. "No. This transition is literally slowly rewriting my DNA. Replacing my genes... it's a very painful process as you can see." he laughed, but even that pained him.

Rose gave him a lopsided smile in sympathy. "You ok?" she stroked his head.

"Doing alright I suppose... but _God _it hurts." He closed his eyes again, and he felt the bed shift. He opened them to find Rose laying down next to him. He turned his head to face her and smiled. "I love you."

She smiled and kissed him on the lips. "I know." She took his hand in hers and they both closed their eyes, gratefully welcoming the sleep that followed.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well here's the final chapter! I decided all my fanfictions from now on are going to a part of a series. Therefore, there will be a sequel to this one :) Please please review! Reviews are most important to me on the final chapter :)**

"Come on, Rose. You need to eat something and get some rest. He'll be fine without you for a little while." Jack prompted. It had been three days since the Doctor's transition began, and Jack's worry for Rose was growing. Since then he had barely seen her eat or sleep. She stayed at the Doctor's side 24/7 and barely talked to Jack at all. At the Doctor's worsening condition, Jack was worried Rose was going into a state of depression.

"I'm fine." Rose replied with a sad tone. Her eyes didn't leave the Doctor, who was still sound asleep in bed. He hadn't woken up anymore since he did on the day it all started. It was obviously worrying the blonde-haired girl.

"Rosie..." Jack sat on the bed next to her, placing his hand on hers. "You have to eat something, and get some sleep. Please. I'll look after him and if anything changes I'll come get you. I promise.

Rose shook her head. "Jack, I'm not leaving him. And I'm not hungry."

"Rose you've not eaten in three days."

"I'm not hungry."

Jack sighed. "Please..."

"Jack, go away." her words were cold but her tone was nothing more than utter sadness and defeat. Jack realised she was finally beginning to face the fact The Doctor might not wake up.

He placed another one of the special energy bars on her lap, then stood up and walked away. He left the room with sadness as he heard the energy bar hit the ground in Rose's rejection.

* * *

Rose watched Jack as he left, then brought her gaze back down to the Doctor, who had started shivering. She stroked his feverish head in comfort, unable to contain the tears emerging from her eyes. He had to be okay. He just had to. He was the Doctor... he couldn't die.

But he could.

Rose had to admit to herself that there was more of a chance of him dying than surviving.

But she couldn't.

The Doctor was going to live. If it meant that Rose had to die to make sure he didn't, then she would.

A sudden groan from the Doctor broke into her thoughts. She looked down at him nervously. He shifted and opened his eyes slightly, gradually opening them more as they adjusted to the light.

"Rose?"

"Doctor!" Rose laughed with relief.

"How long has it been?" he asked hoarsely.

"Three days." she replied sadly. "How do you feel?"

"Kinda like I did back in the hospital..." he winced as he tried to move. "I'm burning on the inside and out.."

"That would explain your temperature..." she muttered worriedly.

He sighed and pressed the base of his palm to his forehead. "I've got the worst headache too."

Rose combed his hair with her fingers, grimacing at the sweat that was left on her hand. "Anything I can get you?"

The Doctor shook his head slightly. "No, I just-" he broke off and let out a wail of pain.

"Doctor!" Rose stared at him as he doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach and head at the same time. "Doctor, what's happening?"

"Stay...back...give me...a minute..." he spat out the words in between gasps of pain. Rose didn't move, just squeezed his hand as he screamed again. "Rose I mean it! Get back!" He let out a final gasp and then laid still, his eyes closed.

"Doctor!" Rose shook his shoulders a bit, and let out a breath of relief as his eyes opened. She slapped him.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

Rose hugged him. "I thought you died!"

The Doctor squirmed out of her grasp. "Well I didn't. You're turning into her mum."

"What just happened?" she nearly shouted.

"Gene rewrite...as I said... quite painful." he closed his eyes briefly then opened them again. "Very painful actually." he grimaced.

"Are you alright? That was... that was scary..."

He nodded. "I'm fine... are you? Are you getting enough sleep?"

Rose shrugged. "I've been in here with you the whole time. Haven't really been able to sleep."

"Rose, you need rest."

"I've gotten a couple naps. But I didn't want to be asleep when this all ends..." she looked away.

"Well I'm sure you're not in here the whole time with me." he laughed. "I mean you have to eat."

Rose hesitated.

"Rose, you _are _eating right?"

"I've not been hungry." she said simply as if it were no big deal.

"Rose..."

"I'm fine! You just focus on getting better, alright?"

The Doctor refused to accept her words. He struggled to sit up, using Rose's shoulder as support. He then looked her straight in the eye. "Rose, please, you have to look after yourself."

"I've just not been hungry or tired. It isn't the end of the world. I just have to make sure you're ok."

"Well, Rose, I'm not ok, because you aren't." he saw the energy bar laying on the floor. He managed to pick it up, and he held it in front of her. "Eat this."

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Rose, _please._ Do it for me."

She hesitated.

"_Please._"

Rose sighed. "Fine." she peeled back the wrapper and took a small nibble. She ended up scarfing it down after realising how hungry she actually was.

The Doctor smiled. "There. See? Feel better?"

Rose just nodded as she practically inhaled the last few bits.

The Doctor winked. "So, what do-" he broke off and screamed.

"Not again... Doctor are you ok?"

He didn't answer this time, and the screams seemed more agonizing than the first.

"Doctor?"

He looked up at her, his gaze pained both physically and emotionally.

"Doctor, please talk to me."

R...Rose..." he winced as he spoke.

"Doctor I'm here. I'm here it's ok. You're going to be ok." she assured him.

"Rose...I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry for what? Doctor, whats wrong?" panic was beginning to rise in her throat.

"Rose...this is it. I'm sorry." his tone was sad.

"No... no! Don't say that. You're going to be fine!" she realised she was trying to convince herself as much as the Doctor.

Rose noticed a glowing yellow light starting to appear from his mouth. He didn't seem to notice.

"Rose... I'm so so sorry... take care of yourself ok?" he smiled. "I love you so much...And before I go..."

"Don't talk like that!" Tears were streaming down her face.

"Before I go I just want you to know that you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic." he laughed, remembering the last time he had spoken these words.

He felt himself beginning to cry. "And do you know what?"

The Doctor laughed once more.

"So was I."


End file.
